How to be a hero or heroine in training and fight bullies of all sorts

THE WRITE WAY TO DEAL WITH BULLIES

Dealing with bullies can steal your energy and brain power. Use the summer to identify the bullies in your life and learn how to deal with them by building your strengths and self esteem. Realize that bullies have their own histories and stress areas that lead them to bully others to feel better about themselves. If bullies can make you feel small and scared, they can feel big and powerful by robbing you of your confidence, safety and self worth. Their weapons are words, fists, social media, peer pressure and lies. Can you think of other weapons? Here are some steps to take to protect yourself:1. Make a list of creative ways to face up to or avoid bullies.2. On paper, create a fictional character (protagonist), in a scene, with a bully (antagonist). Through dialogue (characters talking to each other) and action (what characters do) make your hero or heroine reach his or her goal by outwitting the bully. The bully’s goal it is to stop the hero or heroine from getting what he or she wants.3. See how the scene you create compares to your own life and actions.4. Talk to someone you trust about your feelings. 5. Form a club and give it a name. (online, in person or both) Can you think of bullies, in your life, you haven’t considered before? (See Mya’s blogs) I’d love to hear from kids and the kid inside each adult. Ellen Ziegler, author of “The Garden of Yin Yang”